2012 Ford F-150 FX4 EcoBoost - Jekyll & Hyde

A Four-Wheel-Drive EcoBoost for Show, Go & Tow

Beautiful face, curvy figure, and someone that laughs at your dumb jokes are the perfect combination in a woman. A busted face with some curves or a pretty face and no sense of humor are combinations that result in high blood pressure and unhappy endings. Much like finding the perfect woman, everything in life is a balance. Finding the right balance in a daily driven show truck is always a tricky scenario. Too much show and you may just want to leave it in the garage on a rainy day, however, without all of the custom touches, you may just get passed by without a second look at a show. For Andrew Adams, of Tyler, Texas, a lifelong custom truck nut and member of Texas' Severed Ties custom truck chapter, there was a choice to make with his new 4WD F-150. He needed a truck he could customize while still accommodating the daily responsibilities of transporting two young sons. Enter Project Jekyll & Hyde.

Reaching out to the suspension pros at Ekstensive Metalworks in Houston, Andrew ordered a 6.5-inch lift kit from McGaughys Suspension. At 6.5 inches of lift, the kit would allow Andrew to clear larger tires, get his Ford up to an attention-getting level, and yet not be too tall for his family. With the powercoated-silver lift installed, Andrew added aggressive 37-inch Interco SS-M16 tires mounted to 20x12 Fuel Off-Road Throttle wheels. The look leaves little doubt that this F-150 means business. Andrew admits that the 37-inch tire was slightly too large for a modest lift, but he had a plan in place to remedy any fender and bumper rubbing.

Installing front and rear Stealth bumpers from Addictive Desert Designs (A.D.D.) cleared up enough room for the front tires and provided the menacing frontend appearance Andrew wanted. Mounted atop and inside the front A.D.D. Stealth bumper, two Rigid LED lightbars turn the East Texas night into day with one flip of the switch. Anzo LED headlights and taillights complement the high-performance Rigid lighting, while a Fuel Off-Road mesh grille adds the perfect touch of custom to the F-150. We wouldn't call the exterior's look overpowering, however, the chosen parts work well as a collective whole and help make the truck look the part of an off-road–ready prerunner.

Powering the large wheel and tire combo is Ford's EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, which benefits from a Bully Dog RFI air intake, Flowmaster stainless steel dual exhaust, and Bully Dog GT tuner. Now Andrew has the power to get through the mud of his favorite watering hole. Inside the SuperCrew, Jake Moore added Alpine's new 8-inch head unit with Alpine's Perfect Fit Solution center dash piece. He also built a sub enclosure under the rear seat to house two Alpine 10-inch shallow subs powered by Alpine amps. For even the most discriminating truck owner, the audio looks factory-installed but has the volume of a much more expensive system—again the perfect balance.

We'd bet most readers could better relate to this build than a lot of the over-the-top features seen each and every month. With a real-world budget and real-world needs, this F-150 proves you can be as civil as a banker Monday through Friday and then as wild as a fraternity president when the workweek ends.